Nearly a year ago Rep. Christopher Shays issued a statement
condemning the "conspiracy of silence" in the White House and
the Congress with regard to municipal distress and disparities. He made
a quite commitment then that he would persevere with whatever commitment
of time and personal efforts necessary to force the Congress to confront
the issues of cities and to respond.

Shays agreed to serve as a co-chair of the Urban Caucus in the
House and was the only Republican in the House who made an outreach
effort to work with NLC and elected municipal officials: to listen, to
learn, to respond and to help.

On May 15, Shays held a press conference in Washington to introduce
his "Urban Marshall Plan to Rebuild Our Cities." That plan was
the product of a year of determined efforts to explore the roots of
community problems, to meet with NLC and community leaders from all
parts of the country.

In a meeting with NLC and the Connecticut Conference of
Municipalities in Washington in April, Shays noted that he had acquired
a reputation during his service in the Connecticut legislature for his
dogged determination. He said he intended to develop a similar
reputation in Congress for his single-minded commitment to urban issues.

His plan is, so far, the only meaningful and comprehensive effort
to assemble a federal municipal policy and to ensure that cities are an
integral part of the nation as we approach the 21st century. It is a
plan which has been met mostly with silence by the administration and
the Congress. It comes with warts and blemishes, and it comes from a
member who voted just recently to oppose emergency assistance to
families and businesses devastated by the floods in the City of Chicago
and riots in the City of Los Angeles.

Told that in trying to introduce such a large and expensive package
that he risked his personal credibility, Shays responded that helping
cities was his central reason for serving in Congress and that he would
stay as long as it takes to make a difference.

He would outlast the sniggers and the silence.

The staff director of a senior Republican in the House who is a
former mayor said, in talking about Shays:

"My boss disagrees with him on many issues of importance to
cities and towns, but he recognizes his integrity, his willingness to
try new ideas, and his commitment to making a difference."

The Marshall Plan

In introducing his plan, Shays warned that "there is
absolutely no excuse for inaction:

"We need to rebuild our cities, not bail them out and, in the
process, help rebuild the lives of those who live in our cities. Our
cities and the people who live in them (particularly, our children) are
worth fighting for. "For five decades the United States and the
Soviet Union have been fighting the Cold War while Western Europe, Japan
and the other Asian rim nations have been fighting an economic war and
dividing the spoils. This is the competition of the 90's and
we're not going to win this competition if we leave our cities
behind.

"I am willing to do whatever it takes to make cities our
foundation for the future."

COPYRIGHT 1992 National League of Cities
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